Effects of Pseudomonas on Bioplastic Production from Polyethylene Polymers

Overview

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is widely used industrially due to its optimal properties. The goal of this study was to test the optimal conditions in which polyhydroxyalkaonates (PHA) can be produced via Pseudomonas bacteria catalysis, particularly through the fermentation of terephthalic acid (a component of PET). If successfully completed, PET, which is often found in difficult-to-degrade substances like plastic water bottles and tires, can be recycled into PHA, which is known to have optimal characteristics such as biodegradability, versatility, and strength that allow for use in various fields. It was hypothesized that if Pseudomonas Putida is allowed to ferment terephthalic acid, then it will produce the greatest ratio of collected PHA to terephthalic acid. It was further hypothesized that the resulting PHA from Pseudomonas Fluorescens will in turn have the slowest degrading polymer. First, Pseudomonas aeruginosa produced the highest amount of PHA, with an average of 56.363% of the expected level. The distribution of Pseudomonas A. lied above that to Pseudomonas P. and F., thus not supporting the initial hypothesis. Furthermore, Pseudomonas F. resulted in a high rate of degradation of 0.8108 while the lowest was Pseudomonas A. with a rate of 0.0266. Thus, both hypotheses were rejected with Pseudomonas A. proving to be optimal in production of PHA while Pseudomonas F. seemed to show higher durability. Overall, the stark differences in durability allow for industrial application in the biomedical, engineering, and pharmaceutical fields and provide a novel mechanism of recycling PET into a substance of great use.

Competition history

• AJAS 2020 Category not listed

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